Control mechanism for panoramic cameras



May 31, 1932.

E. O. GOLDBECK CONTROL MECHANISM FOR PANORAMIC CAMERAS Filed April 16, 1929 WITNESSES x I INVENTOR E0. qua/Bear,

ATTORNEY Patented May 31, 1932 EUGENE 0. GOLDBECK, OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS CONTROL MECHANISM FOR PANORAMIC CAMERAS Application filed April 16,

This invention appertains to improvements in panoramic cameras, and has for its main object to provide a governor mechanism for controlling the operation of the actuating motors of such cameras, whereby to secure a much slower speed of movement of a camera and the film within the same for correspondingly increasing the time period of exposure of the film for the making of photographs out of doors in cloudy or inclement weather, or within interiors where ordinarily sufiicient light is not to be obtained or provided, than has heretofore been possible of attainment in known types of such motor governor mechanisms.

With the foregoing and other equally important objects and advantages in view, the invention resides in the certain new and useful combination, construction and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, set forth in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of the rear detachable portion of the casing of a conventional form of panoramic camera, showing a practical embodiment of the auxiliary governor mechanism as it appears in its cooperative relation with respect to the usual 30 governor mechanism of the camera,

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal. section taken on the line 22 of Figure 1,

Figure 8 is a horizontal section taken on the line 33 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sec tion through a portion of the frame of the usual govern or mechanism, showing the manner of the journalling therein of an end of the shaft of the auxiliary governor mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in the several views thereof, the casing part of a standard form of camera, as shown therein, comprises a back wall 10, an outer side wall 11, an inner partition wall 12, and a bottom wall 13.

As shown in Figure 2, the bottom wall 13 is formed of spaced inner and outer wall sec tions 14 and 15 respectively, to house within 1929. Serial No. 355,572.

the space between the same the usual train of gears (not shown) connecting the standard form of governor device 16 at the left-hand side of the inner partition wall 12, with the usual. spring motor (not shown) located at the opposite side of the latter.

The motor is generally mounted within the casing part at the lowerend of a film winding drum (not shown), and a shaft connection (not shown), driven from the gearing train, depends from the bottom wall 13 for geared connection with a stationary gear mounted in horizontal position on the upper end of a tripod, or other suitable support (not shown) of the camera. 1 65 The shaft 17 of the usual governor device 16 has its lower end journalled in the bottom wall 13 of the casing part, and its upper end in the end plate 18 of the supporting frame 19, the latter being secured in position to and at the inner side of the inner bottom wall section 14.

In carrying out the objects and purposes of the present invention, an auxiliary governor device 20 is provided, and has the lower end of its shaft 21 journaled in a bore or recess 22 opening outwardly of the upper face of the frame plate 18, and is supported on a ball bearing 23 disposed therein, sub- 1 stantially as is shown in Figure 4. The upper end of the shaft 21 is j ournalled through abracket 24 secured against the inner side of the back wall 10 of the casing.

Mounted on the end of the shaft 17 of the ordinary governor 16, which projects upwardly from the end plate 18 of the supporting frame 19, is a gear 25. This gear is disposed in mesh with a pinion 26 secured on the adjacent end of the shaft 21 of the aux- F iliary governor device 20. This gear 25 is preferably connected to the shaft 17 by means of a cotter pin or the like 27 when operative, which pin is passed through alined openings formed diametrically through the hub portion of the gear 25 and the engaged end of the shaft 17, but is to be disconnected from the shaft by the removal of the cotter pin 27 in the use of the ordinary governor mechanism 16 only.

Secured on the upper end portion of the governor shaft 21 inwardly of the bracket 24 is a brake disk 28, with which a friction brake element is cooperative. This element is carried at the upper side of an angular extension 29 formed at the lower end of an actuating bar 30, which is slotted, as at 31, for sliding engagement on a supporting memher or screw 32, the latter being secured in the inner surface of the outer side wall 11 of the camera casing, and has its extreme upper end pivoted, as at 33, to an intermediate point on a movable index arm 34.

This index arm 34: is pivoted toward itsinner end, as at 35, to the inner face of the side wall 11 of the casing part, while the outer end of the same is arranged to overlie a graduated scale member 36' also secured to the inner face of the side wall 11 aforesaid, and is pointed at this end to accurately register with the graduations on the scale member 36 when moved to the selected position of adjustment of the brake element, relative to the brake disk 28. Av finger piece 37 is secured to one end, preferably the index end as shown, of the index arm 34 to facilitate the manipulation of the same, and a pair of stops 38 and 38' are arranged to limit the movement of the index armat each of the opposite ends of the scale member 36.

To allow for the mounting of the auxiliary governor device 20 within the casing part of a standard form of camera, the side wall 11 thereof is recessed, as at 39, to permit of the necessary operative movements of the F weights on the several supporting arms of the device, and this recess may extend entirely through the wall 11, except for the outer leather or fabric covering with which the usual forms of cameras are entirely encased.

In the operation of standard forms of panoramic cameras it has been found that in the use of the governor mechanisms ordinarily employed to control the rate and uniformity of speed of the camera and film operating motors, it is practically impossible to so adjust or move such mechanisms as toreduce the speed of the motor to that or below that required for the operation of the camera and film for the taking of pictures on extremely cloudy or stormy days, and in interiors where the light is poo-r, and it is impossible to provide proper artificial light, but, by adding the auxiliary governor mechanism to the present governor mechanism, the desired results can be successfully obtained.

In effecting any modification of the governor mechanisms as usually provided in standard makes of panoramic cameras, it has also been found that, while in certain instances, a reduction inspeed of operation of the actuating motor has been obtained, the revolving movement of the camera on its support or tripod and the feed of the film stip is not uniform, and more or less jerky, de-

pending upon the magnitude of modification made in the said mechanisms. This is not true of the operation of the motor when the auxiliary governor mechanism is employed in cooperation with the usual governor mechanism, but to the contrary, the camera and film are revolved and fed in a smooth and uniform manner, such as allows for the making of photographs with a properly determined time exposure, in cloudy or stormy weather, or in darkened interiors, equal to those made under the most ideal natural or artificial light conditions.

VJithout further description, it is thought that the features and advantages of the in vention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and it will of course be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or its scope as claimed.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed is: r

1. The combination of a main speed control governor mechanism of the actuating motor of a panoramic camera, and an auxiliary governor mechanism directly coupled thereto to effect a reduction of the operating speed of the motor beyond-that of the lowest motor speed obtainable inthe use of the main governor mechanism alone.

2. The combination with a main speed control governor mechanism of the actuating motor of a panoramic camera, of an auxiliary governor mechanism cooperative therewith to effect a reduction of the operating speed of the motor beyond that of the lowest motor speed obtainable in the use of the main governor mechanism alone, and means for connecting and disconnecting said auxiliary governor mechanism directly to and from the said main governor mechanism.

3. The combination-with a main speed control governor mechanism of the actuating motor of a panoramic camera, of an auxil iary governor mechanism directly coupled thereto to effect a reduction of the operating speed of the motor beyond that of the lowest motor speed obtainable in the use of the main governor mechanism alone, and means for regulating said auxiliary governor mechanism to vary the reduced operating speed of the motor.

4-. The combination with a main speed control governor mechanism of the actuating motor of a panoramic camera, of an auxiliary governor mechanism cooperative therewith to effect a reduction of the operating speed of the motor beyond that of the lowest motor speed obtainable in the use of the main governor mechanism, means for selectively regulating said auxiliary governor mechanism to ary the reduced operating speed of the motor, and means for connecting and disconnecting said auxiliary governor mechanism to and from the said main governor mechanism.

5. The combination with a main speed control governor mechanism of the actuating motor of a panoramic camera, of an auxiliary governor mechanism cooperative therewith to effect a reduction of the operating speed of the motor beyond that of the lowest motor speed obtainable in the use of the main governor mechanism alone, a brake mechanism cooperative with said auxiliary governor mechanism, and means for selectively varying the braking eifect of said brake mechanism, whereby to vary the reduced operating speed of the motor.

6. The combination with a main speed control governor mechanism of the actuating motor of a panoramic camera, of an auxiliary governor mechanism cooperative therewith to effect a reduction of the operating speed of the motor beyond that of the lowest motor speed obtainable in the use of the main governor mechanism alone, a brake mechanism cooperative with said auxiliary governor mechanism, an index arm for actuating said brake mechanism to vary the braking eifect thereof, whereby to correspondingly vary the reduced operating speed of the motor, and a scale cooperative with said index arm, said scale being graduated in different values of operating speed of the motor and correspondingly for different time periods of exposure required for the camera under varying light conditions.

7 The combination with a main speed control governor mechanism of the actuating motor of a panoramic camera and including the supporting frame of the governor mechanism, of an auxiliary governor mechanism. disposed at one side of the center of one end of the said frame, the operating shaft of said auxiliary governor mechanism having its lower end journalled in a bearing opening formed in the opposed end of said frame, a ball bearing seated within said bearing opening and supporting the said governor shaft. and means for operably connecting both of said governor mechanisms together.

8. The combination with a main speed control. governor mechanism of the actuating motor of a panoramic camera and including the supporting frame of the governor mechanism. of an auxiliary governor mechanism disposed at one side of the center of one end of the said frame, the operating shaft of said auxiliary governor mechanism havihg its lower end journalled in a bearing opening formed in the opposed end of said frame, a ball bearing seated within said bearing opening and supporting the said governor shaft, means for operably connecting both of said governor mechanisms together, and means for connecting and disconnecting said auxiliary governor mechanism to and from the said main governor mechanism at will.

9. The combination with a main speed control governor mechanism of the actuating motor of a panoramic camera and the supporting frame of the governor mechanism, of an auxiliary governor mechanism sup ported by the frame and having an operating shaft journaled in the frame, and means for operably connecting said governor mechanisans, whereby they will jointly function to control the speed of the motor uniformly through a range below that to be obtained in the use of the main governor mechanism alone.

10. The combination with a panoramic camera including a main speed control governor mechanism for the actuating mechanism thereof, and an auxiliary governor mechanism housed within the casing of the camera and adapted to be operatively coupled to the main governor mechanism to effeet a more uniform speed of the motor at ranges thereof below that to be obtained in the use of the main governor mechanism alone.

EUGENE O. GOLDBECK. 

